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Greece — COUNTRY GUIDE

COUNTRY GUIDE

GREECE

From the Acropolis of Athens and the monasteries of Meteora to the islands of the Aegean and Ionian — 13 administrative regions of antiquity, coastline and mountain.

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ABOUT THE COUNTRY

The country at a glance

Greece spans 13 administrative regions from the mainland of Attica, Central Greece and the Peloponnese to the mountainous north of Macedonia, Thrace and Epirus, and the island groups of Crete, the Aegean and the Ionian Sea. This first Destination360 layer establishes the complete national geography with one representative destination in every region; fuller destination guides will be added gradually.

13 destinations and growing — every one with guides, maps and local detail

THE COUNTRY, UP CLOSE

What to see first

Athens holds the Acropolis and the museums that explain everything after it; Meteora’s monasteries perch on rock towers; Delphi sits in the slopes of Parnassus. The north runs through Thessaloniki’s Byzantine streets to Ioannina’s lake; the Peloponnese packs Nafplio’s Venetian harbour, Mycenae and Epidaurus; the islands split between Ionian green (Corfu) and Aegean white (Santorini, Lesbos), with Crete a country unto itself. Start with the picks below — each opens a full guide.

AthensSantoriniMeteoraDelphiThessalonikiCorfuNafplioHeraklionIoanninaKavalaLesbosPatras

EXPLORE THE COUNTRY

On the map

REGIONS

Explore by region

ATTRACTIONS

Sights worth the detour

Corfu Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage) — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

Corfu Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage)

A medieval town of Venetian lanes, arcades and hidden campielli — the only Greek old town UNESCO lists in its entirety.

Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio) — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio)

The Venetian citadel on its own rock island, ringed by the Contrafossa moat — the reason the Ottomans never took Corfu.

New Fortress (Neo Frourio) — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

New Fortress (Neo Frourio)

The 16th–17th-century Venetian fortress above the old port — vaulted casemates, sea tunnels and the best rooftop views across the roofs.

Church of Saint Spyridon — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

Church of Saint Spyridon

The island’s beloved patron, whose silver reliquary rests beneath the tallest bell tower in Corfu — the tallest in the Ionian.

Achilleion Palace — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

Achilleion Palace

Empress Sisi’s marble shrine to Achilles, later Kaiser Wilhelm II’s retreat — terraced gardens, mythological statuary and views to the Albanian coast.

Paleokastritsa — Corfu
ATTRACTIONS

Paleokastritsa

Forest-green headlands plunging into a chain of sapphire bays — Corfu’s postcard coast, with the 13th-century Theotokos monastery crowning the cape.

THINGS TO DO

Experiences across the country

Walk the Corfu Trail — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Walk the Corfu Trail

Corfu

Climb Mount Pantokrator — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Climb Mount Pantokrator

Corfu

Kayak and paddle the west coast — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Kayak and paddle the west coast

Corfu

Sail to Paxos and Antipaxos — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Sail to Paxos and Antipaxos

Corfu

Kitesurf the Korission dunes — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Kitesurf the Korission dunes

Corfu

Cycle the Ropa valley and the west villages — Corfu
THINGS TO DO

Cycle the Ropa valley and the west villages

Corfu

FOOD & DRINK

Where and what to eat

01

Rex Restaurant, Kapodistriou — a Corfu institution for pastitsada and sofrito in a 1930s-era townhouse.

02

Avli, old town lanes — Slow-food Corfiot cooking in a courtyard off the kantounia.

03

Taverna Ipsia, Gastouri — family taverna above the Achilleion famous for bianco fish stew.

04

Klimataria, Benitses — the island’s classic seafood table by the harbour since 1937.

PLACES TO STAY

Where to sleep

01

Old town boutiques around Campiello — restored Venetian palazzi, best for a car-free stay.

02

Kontokali and Gouvia marina resorts — mid-island, handy for both coasts.

03

Paleokastritsa hillside hotels — green, cool and central for the west coast.

04

Agios Stefanos northeast — quiet cove stays within reach of Kassiopi.

ITINERARIES

Day-by-day routes

Corfu Island Loop — Corfu3 days

Corfu Island Loop

View itinerary

Routes

Routes & rides

GOING DEEPER

Discover Greece in depth

Why visit

Greece is where Western travel begins — antiquity you can touch in Athens and Delphi, mountains where monasteries hang on rock pillars, and an island world of 6,000 isles where every ferry ride is a different beach, whitewash and taverna. It layers 4,000 years of history over some of Europe’s clearest seas, and outside the famous islands it remains startlingly affordable and empty — the mainland’s Zagori villages and Pindus trails see a fraction of Santorini’s morning crowd.

Travel context

The island season runs May to October, peaking August — book the Cyclades then months ahead or skip to June/September, the best sea-warm-and-quiet months. Mainland sights work year-round, Athens included. Ferries from Piraeus and Rafina fan out nightly in summer; the mainland asks for a car (Athens–Delphi 2.5h, Athens–Meteora 4h). Cash still rules the islands’ small tavernas, and midday hours genuinely close for siesta outside cities.

Did you know?

  • Greece has roughly 6,000 islands and islets — but fewer than 230 are inhabited.
  • The Marathon run commemorates a real 490 BC run from the battlefield to Athens — about 40 km, the modern race adds 2 km.
  • Greece’s coastline is around 13,700 km long — longer than Africa’s — thanks to thousands of bays and island shores.

NEARBY COUNTRIES

Continue across borders

INTERESTS

Explore by what you love

HikingCampingMountaineeringCyclingKayakingClimbingBeachesWildlifePhotographyHistoryFood & WineFamily

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Explore Greece

Regions, cities, destinations and full travel guides — start anywhere below.